In general cost of turning over a unit?

[Joshua Solomon]

I was curious what landlords costs are in turning over a unit;

2 bedrooms duplexes and 3 bedrooms duplexes 

[Michael Boyer]

Great question Joshua. Not to be too wishy-washy, but it depends. 

For example, how well the previous tenant left the unit and how much you do yourself versus hiring out. The length of tenancy, the wear and tear, etc are all very relevant. Even the age and condition of the unit is relevant. Your larger units will just have more space to cover, too, on everything from cleaning to painting and flooring. 

Plus, you might catch a unit on a turnover needing a larger item (like a hot water heater or some new flooring) which is an ideal time. 

A long tenancy (3-5 years plus) with lots of normal wear and tear might have you start with repainting and new flooring.

I have seen rules of thumb like no more than a month's rent, etc as a cap....And of course you could offset any damages with the deposit. And I think you could attach some costs to the standard items based on market rates in your area.

But I have adopted the adage: it takes what it takes.

You may walk in and see a relatively pristine unit and be able to start showing right away (it has happened). I once had such a great tenant that I just inspected everything, changed the locks, and a couple of light bulbs and started showing it that evening (no out of pocket).

More likely, you may see a unit needs touch up painting here and there, some effort on an unusual smell, lots of little tasks on wear points (from faucets to toilet flappers and closet doors off the rails). And while "clean" I find a unit is not always show room clean you might like to attract good tenants. 

Personally, I get a pretty thick stack of receipts at the turnovers so I like to retain good tenants as long as possible. I used to dread the turn overs (work and expense) but now I have such long term tenants that I actually look forward to the chance to get in and renew everything once in awhile.

I try to be efficient but trying to reduce costs or move too quickly could mean you have to come back later and fix something (which gets harder when the tenants are in there) or worse it does not rent fast as an issue deters tenants.

Best of luck.